6 Best Tenant Screening Services for Landlords in 2023

Buildium’s tenant screening feature (Source: Buildium)

• Tenant screening criteria: This lets you set minimum credit score and other qualifying questions in the application form, like pets, move-in dates, and deposits, to quickly filter qualified from unqualified applicants and stay aligned with landlord-tenant laws.
• Property management: Includes several property management functions, such as accounting, maintenance, tasks, violations, resident and board member communications, and online portals.
• Marketing website: A do-it-yourself, free, fully integrated website for property managers, hosted by Buildium.
• E-signatures: You can manage all leasing processes online and get your documents signed digitally.
• Performance and business analytics: Receive insights into your residents’ activities through the resident center and a detailed analysis of your business performance using key leasing metrics.

Customers rated Buildium 4.5 out of 5 because of its ease of use, robust platform, and multiple tools available for property management like online rent payment function and maintenance request tracking. One user also liked that she could get a ledger for court filings and tenant evictions.

In less positive Buildium reviews, users commented that Buildium’s customer support is unsatisfactory. One user also remarked that he had experienced delays in page loading and system response, which slowed down his work. Additionally, Buildium doesn’t have a free plan or terrorist report feature. If you’re managing a few properties and want to try a free property management service, we recommend Avail.

Sample tenant screening report (Source: Avail)

• Rental listings: Create one rental listing to post across multiple sites, such as Realtor.com and Trulia, with one click.
• Digital leases: Access lawyer-reviewed, state-specific lease agreement templates, including all the necessary disclosures, attachments, and clauses.
• Online rent collection: Allow tenants to pay rent online, schedule upcoming payments, issue late fees, track rental income, and get paid faster with Avail’s FastPay.
• Maintenance tracking: Track repairs with in-app messaging, photos, and automatic maintenance records.
• Rent price analysis: Complete rental market trends and rent comps so you can set competitive rent prices.

Avail’s subscribers praise the platform for its ease of use, affordable pricing, and extensive features, giving it a 4.6 out of 5-star review. One user is happy as he can easily track and maintain income processing and for the late fee notifications or reminders feature.

While most reviews are positive, some users experienced technical issues like glitching and screen lagging. Avail doesn’t currently have an app, which could be inconvenient for landlords who are always on the go. If you’re looking for a property management app with a mobile tenant screening feature, check out RentRedi or Buildium.

Sample tenant credit report (Source: RentRedi)

• Rent collection: Tenants can send money via credit card, ACH, cash, and banking. Landlords receive payments within three to four business days and can export payments to spreadsheets or QuickBooks.
• Prequalifications and applications: Set prequalification questions to immediately determine whether an applicant qualifies or not before scheduling a tour.
• Maintenance requests and coordination: Outsource managing maintenance requests and get automatic maintenance status updates sent to the tenant.
• Listings and marketing: Free Realtor and Doorsteps listing syndications using the RentRedi dashboard; add virtual tour options to property listings and have a free professionally designed marketing page to share on your websites and other marketing sites.

Users found RentRedi’s mobile app very convenient and user-friendly, especially the ability to properly screen applicants, collect rents, notify tenants, and respond to maintenance requests directly on their mobile phones. A user commented that RentRedi is excellent for sharing and saving documents with tenants. Because of these reasons, RentRedi received a 4.7 out of 5-star rating.

While most users found RentRedi helpful and convenient, one user experienced an issue with the autopay and system bugs. Aside from these, RentRedi doesn’t offer an a la carte feature, which users believe is not cost-efficient since subscribers pay a flat monthly or annual fee. Some also experienced technical and update issues with the mobile app. If you’re budget-conscious and prefer to purchase a la carte features instead, check out LeaseRunner.

Credit report dashboard (Source: Apartments.com)

• Property listings and virtual tours: List your properties on Apartment.com and conduct property tours online and from anywhere.
• Online lease agreements: Create state-compliant online lease agreements customized to your locale; both you and the tenants can sign the lease documents with an e-signature and access documents online.
• Resident management: Keep and access all of your tenants’ relevant information securely in one centralized location; share documents with tenants online.
• Expense tracking: Organize, track, and export your rental property expenses from anywhere to make tax preparation easier.
• Maintenance requests: Receive and manage maintenance requests directly from tenants on your online dashboard.

Apartments.com obtained a 4.2 out of 5 customer review rating for its user-friendly interface, extensive exposure online, and great customer service. A property manager remarked that Apartments.com has access to a wide range of diverse renters. The company is also number one on Google search, and its platform is easy to use and compatible with most property management software.

Some landlords complained of expensive premium rental advertising and its difficulty to update the information if the property has the data coming from a feed. Furthermore, property managers are currently unable to utilize the mobile app, which means they have to log in to their accounts through a web browser to update and maintain listings. If you’re looking for a free tenant screening service with a mobile app, check out RentRedi and TurboTenant.

Sample tenant screening report (Source: TurboTenant)

• Rental advertising: Advertise properties for free on multiple rental listing websites like Realtor.com, ApartmentList, Rent.com, and Craigslist; create professional listing pages for your properties.
• Lease agreements: Customize a state-specific online lease agreement crafted by local lawyers and expert landlords.
• Rent payments: Securely collect rent online, connect your bank account, and set up automatic monthly charges and late fees.
• Expense tracking: Organize and monitor your expenses in purpose-built software and export them as a CSV file when filing taxes.

TurboTenant’s users love the platform because of its ease of use and free features with upgrade options. Another user loved its all-in-one property management solution that enables them to advertise their properties across multiple sites, communicate with potential tenants, pre-screen and screen applicants, and accept applications.

On the other hand, some users complained about unresponsive customer support and issues with their accounts. One user wished for the ability to separate applications that don’t need the screening, so landlords can check applications first and see if the tenant is a good fit without asking them to pay for screening. Because of these mixed reviews, TurboTenant received a 3.7 out of 5-star review. For more robust and comprehensive options with free plans, check out Avail, Apartments.com, or LeaseRunner.

Sample eviction history report (Source: LeaseRunner)

• Applicant authorization: Applicants can authorize the release of their credit, financial, eviction, and criminal records from their email and don’t need to create a LeaseRunner account or go to the website.
• Rental ads: Post rental listings to multiple sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Craigslist and generate application buttons and links.
• Digital rental application: Email the application link to tenants so they can apply online or via smartphone.
• Digital lease with e-signature: Compile multiple documents and email them for e-signature.
• Online rent payment: Collect rent and fees by bank debit through the Tenant Payment Center or autopay.

Landlords who use LeaseRunner like the platform for its user-friendly interface and robust services, giving it a 4.6 out of 5-star review. One landlord even commented that LeaseRunner makes renting manageable. Another praised the platform because it made listing, creating, and signing leases easy.

While customers find the platform useful, one customer commented on LeaseRunner’s “buggy” software. Further, LeaseRunner does not offer packages, and the total cost of its complete tenant screening report can be more expensive than other tenant screening services. You can check Avail’s monthly free and affordable subscription plans if you’re an independent landlord with few properties.